Modern Technology Began in Garages, and So May The Future of Batteries

Welcome to another Sunday and another round up of wonderful science and tech reads from around the web. We've got tons of great stuff, all worthy of carving a few minutes out of your busy (or lax) Sunday. This week we're talking about Google's dichotomy as an information index and glorified advertiser, the very real politics of a very virtual society, trying to answer the "why" behind spying, and how the future of batteries may come from a garage. Happy reading!

On Monday, many watched, or the very least reacted, to Apple's latest addition to its hardware lineup—the Apple Watch. But what was even more enlightening was how Google began indexing the search term "watch" to immediately draw up the purchase page for Apple's latest wearable. This all raises the question—is Google an index of humanity's collective knowledge or just a glorified advertising site? [Motherboard]

EVE Online is one of the most fascinating games ever created, where massive digital battles can be totaled up in real world currency and where physical monuments are erected in remembrance of virtual destruction. The Atlantic takes a deep dive in to the world of EVE Online, and how the politics of such a community are very much real. [The Atlantic]

"What's holding back solar and wind isn't their availability but the fact that the technology to generate renewable energy has leapt far ahead of the capacity to store and deploy it round the clock as needed." This is a real problem facing the future of energy storage, but one enterprising tinkerer is working on converting a busted Tesla battery into the future of home energy. [Bloomberg]

What is the "why" of spying? If the intention is to catch terrorists—but there's no reported evidence of that really doing anything—then why do countries find the need to continually spy on their citizens? The reason is its cheaper than trying to use technology in more meaningful ways. It's another chapter in the rich-versus-poor epic of human history. [The Guardian]